Between Light and Dark
by GeArS1
Summary: Tihs is a story about vengance. A story about when everything you ever had...had ever known...was lost...and the only thing left...is burning hatred.
1. Default Chapter

Herin follows the account of the last days of The Third Age of The Sun From The eyes of one... Prelude: In a dark glade far from anywhere, the dim moon cast a shady light upon the leaves. The ground was hard, like clay, and the trees seemed to struggle to sent out roots in the hard ground. A figure came into the clearing. He was old, with a great beard, and he was blind. He let off, however a felling of what once was, ancient power. He would have seemed all very mightly, but the fact he was a teensie broke the feeling down a bit. The old teensie stood there for what must have been an hour. Suddenly, his eyes fixed upn the other side of the clearing. He slowly walked towards it, stopping about 8 feet from the trees. A figure was in the shadows. He seemed to meld with the darkness, and one would think he wasnt there at all. The teensie raised a finger. "Ghershi doh no yerquiji Melch!" The figure was nonplussed, he began to walk forward, but the shadows seemed to come with him. "Reko iki hai!" The old teensie yelled, holding up his hand. A blue ball of light shone in it. The figure dashed forward grabbing the teensie by the head and extingushing the ball of light.The old teensie stuggled helplessly as the figure held him up. The old teensie screamed, then there was a sickening crack. The teensie hung limp in the figures grip. There was a sound like sand rushing thorough an hourglass, and the figure dropped the teensie with a little thud. He turned, and dissapeared into the dark of the forest. 


	2. Chapter 2

Against the biting cold of the snow, I crawled. My hands burned, I knew I was frostbitten. I continued crawling, knowing another avalanche could come at any minute. All I could hear was the wind, howling like some fell beast. The snow was rising every minute. "He won't be far," I growled to no-one,"He can't stand the snow as well as I can." I wasn't one to talk, of course, but at this point I had lost all focus except to get to him. I was slipping into darkness. I could fell it. i was fighting my own mind, it wanted to give up against the torrent of storm, but part of me wouldn't stop. I would find him. I pushed myself up on my hands and yelled, " May thier burnt hands...... The darkness won-n!........... It will damn us all!" With that, I fell face first into the snow, darkness pured into my vison, I could no longer hear the blizzard, I drifted into the ethreal, remembering what had led to this... 


	3. Chapter 3

Never would I forget that day, the day where my soul burnt like the piles of my fallen comrades.... the day that would forever haunt me. It was later at night. Most poeple were out at the city square, enjoying a festival of merrymaking. I was sitting at one of the feasting tables, ejoying a meal. It all happenend very quickly. Lights were said to be moving about on the fields out in front of the city. Several soldiers were sent out to look. They never came back. The call went up. All soldiers were to report. I ran to my famlies house to grab my gauntlets. No sooner had I done so, had a earth shattering rumble hit us. A battering ram hit the main entryway. I got there just to see the doors snap. And then like a tidal wave, an army poured in. I had never sen beings like this, nor would I have ever wanted to. All horrible beings, each one very different from the next, the only things that really linked them were thier armor bearing the insignia of some unkown legion, and the fact that most were bipedal. We fought like cornered animals, with reckless abandon. I could barley hold them off. The ground was red with blood. They pushed us back farther and farther into the heart of the city. They were slaughtering most of our people, others were being knocked unconsious. They cornered us. I and about 20 other soldiers were left. This was the end. The horrors stopped. "What new devilry is this?" I heard my brother say. We managed to stay together this long, although I doubted our family fared better. The mass of creatures parted. A figure strode down between them. i couldnt believe it. It wasnt possible. It was Rayman. He approached us. I was about to say somthing when Rayman raised a hand. It happened like lightning. Rayman threw his fist. It hit my brother in the chest. I heard a terrible sound, and my brother fell. I rushed Rayman. He was too fast. He struck me on the head. I fell to the ground, dazed. He madea motion to the horrors, and departed down the same opening he came from. I heard my comrades being bludgeoned senseless, and then I could fell myself being dragged along the ground. I was awoken with a hit over the head. "Look," I heard a horrible voice say, "See the glory of your people!" I was being held by the forarms by two of the creatures. Others were also being held, some were at blade ponit huddled in groups. We were out in the fields. I could smell a horrible burnt somthing. I looked up. Piles, dozens of piles of people, my people, being burnt like dried tinder in the early morning sun. Now, the anger welled, I wouldnt let this stand. I would find a way. My peoples deaths would not be in vain. 


	4. Chapter 4

The sun parched my back as I toiled. Days, weeks, years, I couldn't tell how long our labor lasted. It seemed to be forever. We were broken. The will of my brethren to live was waning under the cruelty of the Scourge, as we had come to name them. He was still there, Rayman. Giving orders, occasionally, to soldiers. It was him, it had to be him, there was no denying it. But it could not be right. The Hero? Turned to cruelty and tyranny? I, myself, felt the weight. My body was no longer as it were, I was weaker, my skin fading, and my breath fleeting. On one night, staring up at the stars(which I didn't often have time to do), I heard a cackling. I looked up. And old man was stumbling around, laughing. I rushed over to him. "Are you alright?'' "Hee hee hee!" yelled the old man, who hung on my shoulders practically dragging me down. "Not the same eh!?. You know it! But yourmind cant see it! Hee hee! Too tired, none could anyway! Hee hee!" He grabbed my hands and held them close to his face. "Hee hee! Gots em! Gots em! Woopee!Scortch em Torch em! Hee hee! You get him boy! Hee hee heee..........." The old one's eyes rolled back in his head. He fell to the ground, dead The next morning, his body was fed to the lesser horrors(which, are on the level of dogs) I didn't know what he meant, but the old revenge I thought lost within me had floated up to the surface. Under the cover of darkness, I stole back into town, narrowly avoiding patrols. I was shocked to find my family's house in shambles. With only a quick glance I ran upstairs to the attic. Even more razing. I shuffled to the back, it was still there. A large old, chest, which appears to have been tampered with(but no doubt left to move on to more houses) was sitting there. For the lock, there was no key, you simply had to unhinge proper hinges to open it. A few seconds of frantic work and... Within the chest, sat and old pair of war talons. Covered in ancient symbols, theybelonged to me grandfather, but were still useable. I stole back to the camp. I crept and crawled, stopping once, to quietly slaughter and low level horror snooting around in the ditches. I eventually made it up to the camps where the top officers stayed. I sat and waited. After about an hour, Rayman came out. I stayed still, waiting for the perfect chance. Rayman cosulted several officers who stumbled out of other tents, who them left to perform there duties. Rayman was alone. Now. I leapt from my hiding place and sprinted at him. He turned right before my talons struck, and grappled me. He had me around the neck. He was choking me. Throughout the pain and blur, I thrust my hands at Rayman. I pushed upon his chest, though I could not see them, I could see his face. It went from anger to pain. His grim loosened and blood flowed slightly more. I could see my hands now. They were orange, and burning like the sun. Rayman pushed me away, and I could see his chest was open. IT was white inside, and let off what would be blood in a normal being, but in him, it reflected rainbows of color. Rayman ran to the edge of the hill the camp was perched on. I was winded to I ungainly followed. He came to a 20 foot drop, looked at me and jumped. I moved forward, and could see him sprinting on the ground below. I jumped. I could smell him. With all my power I was seeking him. I would find him. I would find Rayman. _ 


	5. Chapter 5

For two moons and three suns I pursued him, never stopping, crashing through briar, bramble and field. I was beaten battered and bruised, and really tired out. But the rage infused me. It pushed me on like a wild animal pursuing its prey. Why was he leading me out this far? We were way out there. WAY out there. In the lands a territories where the stories of the war with the hoodlums several years ago came out of. After only several hours had the trail of bled energy stopped, for most of the time I was following suttle trailmarks.(Footprints, broken twigs etc.) He had no smell. Nothing. He should have had a smell. It made it alot harder. I pushed on dauntless however, into the land beyond our own. "Damn!'' Birds flew out of the trees as I yelled. "Damn, damn, damn!" I punched at a rock. I had lost the trail. And even worse, I was lost myself. It would have been one thing if, oh you know, my people wern't so wary. The only real word we get from beyond our borders is from merchants and traders, so we really don't know much about terrain. I wished I did now. I was lost. Completely. I had a vague idea of where I was, but not enough to point me in any direction. The only choice I had was a small path that wound off into the distance. I took my chance and began to walk. After several hours I began to grasp the area. I was in lightly forested land, no doubt leading to scrub or lowland, and then probably to a plain or desert. For several hours I walked without incident.... until. I wasn't alone. Things moved in the trees. Things I wasn't sure of. It happened in a flash. I was surrounded by tiny little warriors, all with very big noses. Looking back, I suppose my first mistake was to grabbing the nearest one and hurling him some forty feet. This didn't help and of course, they mobbed me. I managed to beat them off and run, only to be stopped by a particularly large stone tied to a rope the fell out of a tree. They cast a net over me. I struggled. I felt something hit my head, And I blacked out. _________________ 


	6. Chapter 6

Stars wheeled. Stars parted. Within the dreamworld, I tumbled and swayed,cartwheeling upon the cosmos. And then.......something.... A light, a tiny light. A voice, an old voice, one that seemed to carry it's own weight. It was high, and it was.....different. "There is hope left! Deceivement of the mind does not fold! You must rip the cloak from the world! The time is ripe! Do not give them parley, for you shall receive none! The light faded. The voice disappeared, and I awoke. Ironically, as I was bludgeoned asleep, also was I bludgeoned awake. I was in a hut. It was a cozy little hut, obviously designed for beings on a much smaller scale. In from of me stood......a teensie. He was obviously of cheiftan status, judging from his garb. Several soldiers and some other teensies stood in the hut. I was bound and my mouth was tied shut. The little teensie began to speak. I could tell, because he was waving his arms and making motions, as most politicians do during a speech. I couldn't hear a thing. I shook my head to see if they would unbind my mouth. Luckily, one of them realized this(to some extent) and told the guards to do so. "Much better" I opened my mouth slightly, and the teensie rattled on. "Do quikki shlo frequnto iko vay! Go drempa lercheta hah? No youmoocho de oko tay!" "What are you saying???" I blasted. The teensies were a little taken aback, but grasped the situation quite quickly. "Who are you and why are you here? What business do you have straying into our lands and attacking my men! Speak, quickly!" I didn't want to stumble, so I answered quickly, "My name is Khazar. I was following Rayman and got lost. I ended up here, your men attacked me, I defended myself." " Why would YOU be following Rayman?" " He led an attack against my city, nay, my land now most likely., with an army of horrible beasts." There was hushed talk among the teensies. "Blasphemy!, began the chief. "Rayman would never stoop to that! Hark, young lad, we have heard stories of shadows moving, taking villages and growing, but Rayman! He is probably combating this, this "darkness" right now! This heresy! Take him outside to the square!" The guards jabbed me with spears. I painfully got up, and walked to the door. The doors were thrown open, and I walked outside. _____ 


	7. Chapter 7

Ironic, really. I was captured by a tribe of beings 1/8th my size. If I was stronger I suppose, I could have done something, but the lack of food was wearing on me. My talons were also gone, and I wasn't sure whether or not I could use the "burning hand" technique(as I dubbed it) without them. The teensie warriors jostled me outside. Tennsies were standing around, and all quickly looked to the opened door. No doubt the word had spread. It was a quaint village. The teensies were masters at using nature, and this was reflected in the structure of their closely packed huts. A tiny teensie child approached me. It was the image of innocence. He pointed a tiny finger at me, and said, "Mommiee, wazzat?" His mother rushed over, picked him up, and raced him away to the rear of the group of observers. I was led into the village center. It was an area of slightly raised ground. It had a nice earthy tone to it. There was a large totem, expertly carved in the center, which to my disliking, had old blood stains on it. I was led to the totem, and bound tightly. The villages circled the center, and all waited intently. The village chief approached, and took a standing spot in front of the totem. He began to speak... "This Sorin has been charged with the crimes of invading our territory, and assaulting a soldier! He has further instigated, that we are in danger, from an army that has taken his peoples land and is encroaching on us. He has gone so far to say that the leader of the army, is none other than Rayman.!'' The villagers as one let out an angry roar. "This will not stand!," began the chieftain, "For such a crime against us, he must be put to the death!" A cheer form the crowd seemed to seal my fate. It wasn't going to be a clean execution either. A small raised platform was set up next to me. Two teensies climbs upon it, hefting a large ax. The crowd was yelling, this was it, the teensies clumsily hefted the ax, and pulled back.... "CHEIF SPIGGUM! A WORD?!" The guards neatly missed my head and stuck the ax into the totem millimeters above my head. Something shot past me, and hovered near the spot were the chief stood. "Murfy, what's the meaning of this?'' said the startled chief. "What's going on here" sputtered Murfy. He looked very strained. "We were going to execute this vagrant, who was insinuating we are in some kind of danger." "Thats right Spiggum." started Murfy, "Were in a danger. We all are." 


	8. Chapter 8

People suprise me really. The way we can judge without ever really knowing what is true, since the truth is often hard to see. It got to me sometimes, just the thought of how anyone could sleep at night, knowing what they know. But, then again, I wasn't like them. Murphy was speaking as fast as he could. He was trying to squeeze as many words into a second as possible. The teensie chieftain had almost no time to answer. "It's terrible, we don't know where they came from, they took all the Dundian lands-" "My peoples lands is gone!?"I said quickly "Yes, I'm sorry, almost no one is left." said Murphy. "These things are surely the work of some demonic designs-" "You fool! They are being led by Rayman! I was following him, he has betrayed all of u-" One of the guards hit me over the head. "Silence!" the teensie chieftan screamed. "Rayman would never do this to us! You must be-" "Wait." Murhy came over to me. He had a very serious look on his face. "You say that this dark army is led by Rayman." "Yes.'' "Why are you all the way out here?" "I chased him out. He would have killed me but, my hands-" "He can make fire!" Yelled a warrior. "Dark majik!" yelled another. "You have to believe me" I said pitifully. "Murhpy had a look of dire concentration on his face. "I don't believe you, but you can go. Right now I only know as much as you do, but I gots me a feeling about you." His eyes flickered down to my hands. "Let him go, give him back his War Talons.." Murhpy whispered into my ear, " I saw Rayman going into the Knarren desert. I only spoke with him for a moment, he said he was going to investigate. I didn't give it a second thought then. I must go now to the fairy council. Be careful. I sense that there is much more here than there seems. Go forward with caution. After a minute of argument with the chieftain, Murhpy bid me adieu and flew off towards the West. The guards hurried out my talons. I put them on. Fire crackled from my hands. All the teensies gasped as one. With a quick, " Goodbye." I was off running without a glance back. Within an hour I was in the scrublands surrounding the desert of the Knareen. The hunt was on. 


	9. Chapter 9

The sun shone red through the cloud. The very land seemed to be dead, dried up long ago. It was genuinly rocky for a desert, like the earth was trying to burst up through the parched sand. I was...uneasy. I couldn't smell any creature for many miles. I kept going over what Murphy said in his head. "I gots me a feeling about you." Cleary Murphy had a hunch. At least, I thought, the dark beings that attacked my province have been made known to the surrounding peoples. A day of walking, and a cold sleepless night. I began think of stories I heard... The desert walkers... Beings, taller than our kind, but stouter. Feracious nomads of the desert with stony skin, and strange faces. They are invulnerable, as the story goes, regenerating wounds with astounding speed. The Knareen. I was dearly hoping they were just a legend. Clearly as time goes on, legends forget to be legends. I was captured as I climbed a large boulder. A net was flung over me. I could see figures cautiously moving towards me. I burned through the net and thrust my immolating hands through them. The figures yelled, talked hurriedly in some strange tongue, and proceeded to hurl a large rock at me. The concusion gave them enough time to restrain me. They carried me along by the shoulders. They were clearly strong, altough the concusion had dazed me. I was led through extensive tiny canyons, and clever passanges throughn the rockwork. Suddenyl , the path opened up, and I was led into the city of the Knareen. It seemd to be well lit, with guards all around. This passsage opened up into a large market place. Knareen children (to my best guess) were jerring and throwing rocks. Past this quaint little area through several tunnels, and into a large chamber. The guards led me through a locked door, and chained me to a wall. "Second time I've been captured, I thought.'' I looked up to survey the room, and I was awstruck. There was Rayman, chain to the wall opposite me. My hands burned. _________________ 


End file.
